Apparatus for dispensing butter patties.



/vvtnmeo 8. D. STRAIGHT. APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING BUTTER PATTIES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8,1915.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

5 SHEETSSHEET I.

. STRAIGHT.

APPARATUS PENSING eumn mms. APP I FILED )UNE8. I915 1,216,624. Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

5 sHEETS-SHEET 2.

B. D. STRAIGHT.

APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING BUTTER PATTIES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8. 1915.

1 216,624. Patented Feb. 20,1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

r g a 4; 55 56 46 w J6 16 A X c B. 0. STRAIGHT. APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING BUTTER PATTIES. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8.1915.

1 ,2 1 6,624. Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

5 SHEETSSHEET 4.

B. D. STRAIGHT.

APPARATUS FOR, DISPENSING BUTTER PATTIES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEG. 1915.

1,216,624. Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5.

A. W I wi l.

III

i w I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE:

BENNETT D. STRAIGHT, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO BUTTER SERVING MACHINYE. COMPANY, INC, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING BUTTER PATTIES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filed March 22,- 1915, Serial No. 16,053. Divided and this application filed June 8, 1915.

. Serial No. 32,980.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENNETT D. STRAIGHT, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State" of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Dispensing Butter Patties; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, ref erence being had to the accompanyin drawings, forming a part of this specification,

and to the reference numerals marked thereon.

The invention relates to a dispensin apparatus, and has for its object to afi'or certain improvements intended especially for furnishing relatively small portions or patties of butter from a larger mass of butter, the machine being designed for use in lunch rooms, hotels, restaurants, and similar places where it is desirable to produce a large number of individual servings of butter. A further object of the invention is to provide for automatically discharging a patty onto an empty plate, the plate having been brought into position to receive the patty, prior to its discharge, so that it can be readily removed from the machine. Another purpose of the invention resides in constructing and arranging the parts in such a manner as to result in a maximum speed of operation and degree of efficiency, together with simplicity of arts which obviates to a large extent like ihood of disarranging the mechanism when operated by unskilled hands.

This application is a division of a prior application for patent for butter dispensing apparatus for which Letters Patent of the United States, No. 1,146,972, were issued July 20, 1915.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combination of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification. v

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine equipped with one embodiment of the invention; V

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional viewshowingT the controlling mechanism;

ig. 3 is an elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1 with parts in section;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View of one of the plate holding sections, showing the position of the parts when empty;

Fig. 5 is a similar view, the section being filled with plates;

Fig 6 is a plan view with the plate car rier removed;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the plate carrier support;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view ofthe plate carrier and butter container;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation, showing the cutting member;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view through the butter compartments;

Fig. 11 is a sectional view showing the plate supporting device, and

Fig. 12 is a similar view showing the position of the plate supporting device in the act of releasing an empty plate.

Similar reference characters throughout the several figures indicate the same parts.

The invention set forth in this application may be carried out in various ways other than the particular embodiment herein shown and described and it is to be understood that the mechanism illustrated and described in detail is intended merely as one exemplification of means by which the de sired result may be accomplished. In the illustrations, 1 designates the base on which is mounted a circular supporting frame or drum 2 in which is mounted a container 3 for the butter, or other material to be dispensed, within which operates an ejector. The latter comprises a follower 4 mounted on the piston 5, provided with a series of rack teeth 6 on its lower edge. tainer 3 is closed by a sliding top plate 7, which is movable for a purpose that will appear hereinafter, and at its forward end the container is provided with a neck 8 which is tapered, as shown, and forms a reduced or restricted discharge opening 9 through which the material is ejected.

The ejector 4 is controlled in its movement by suitable actuating means which, in the present embodiment of the invention, comprises a rock arm 10 fixed on a shaft 11 and carrying a pivotal pawl 12 controlled by a spring 13 and arranged to advance the plunger 4 a predetermined distance at each oscillation of the shaft 11. The operating The con shaft 11 is controlled by the main lever or prime mover 16 which is fixed thereon and is adapted to be depressed and elevated once for each operation. The normal position of the arm 10 appears in Fig. 3, and Fig. 2 shows its position after it has engaged the rack bar and moved the ejector the required distance. Owing to the reduction in size of the discharge opening 9, and the comparatively large area of the ejector, a very light movement of the latter is sufficient to force through the discharge opening a sufiiclent quantit of butter for an individual service. Owing o the peculiar resilient character of a substance like butter when subjected to pressure, there is a tendency for it to resume its normal or expanded condition prior to the application of pressure and this tendency has the eifect of moving the ejector rearwardly slightly, after pressure on the handle 16 is released. With this in view the ejector is freed from the actuator and permitted to make a partial return movement to accommodate the expensive action of the butter. In practice this is accomplished by arranging the parts as follows: Assuming that if the ejector moves through the distance of one notch on the rack bar to discharge a single patty, the parts will be so proportioned as to cause the arm 10 to move the rack bar through a distance slightly greater than the length of one notch, and possibly as much as a notch and a half when the arm 10 is disengaged, the ejector will be returned until its total travel is equal to only one notch and the rack bar will be in such position that the pawl 12 will engage the next succeeding tooth of the rack on the following operation.

After the ejecting operation is complete, it is desirable to separate the ejected portion from the main body of the mass, and for this purpose I employ a cutting member that is movable transversely of the discharge opening and is preferably controlled bythe ejector actuating means before described, whereby the operation of the cutting member is effected after each forward movement of the ejector. The cutting member operates on its advance stroke to cutor separate the patty or individual portion from the main body of material, and on its return stroke to knock the severed portion away from the body of material, assuring its fall onto an empty plate which is brought into position in a manner that will presently be described.

The cutting member is preferably formed by a wire 17 moving in a path in front of the discharge opening 9 of the compartment. and to this end it is mounted on a sliding yoke member 19 which is reciprocated by a rod 20, the latter being pivotally mounted on a fixed axis 21. Carried on the rod 20 is a pivoted lever 22 yieldingly held in one position by a spring 23, as shown in Fig. 2.

The lower end of the lever 22 carries a tail piece 24 and is provided with a shoulder 25 which cooperates with a projection 26 on the arm 10. When the parts are in the normal position, as shown in Fig. 3, the projection 26 is disengaged from the shoulder 25. On the downward movement of the lever 16, arm 10 advances the ejector,.and at the limit of such movement, it assumes substantially the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, where the projection 26 has engaged beneath the shoulder 25. On the return or upward stroke of lever 16, the latch engagement between the shoulder 25 and projection 26 causes the lever 22 to be moved upwardly,

'thereby rocking the rod 20 about its axis 21 and imparting a corresponding downward movement to the cutting member 17. The downward movement of the cutting member accelerates the fall or gravitation of the patty onto the plate. The upward movement of the lever 22 is suflicient to cause the cutting member to entirely traverse the discharge opening 9, and by the time the cutting member has reached its lowermost position the arm 10 will have traveled far enough on its return movement to carry the projection 26 past the shoulder 25, and when this disengagement takes place the rod 20 is returned quickly to its initial position by means of a spring 27 which is connected to the rod and to a stationary part of the machine. The action of spring 27 effects a quick return movement of the cutting member 17 which may thereby disassociate the patty from the material in the compartment and assist its falling onto the empty plate which is provided, should the patty have any tendency to cling to the body from which it is severed.

In order to receive each of the discharged arranged on a rotary carrier, comprising a' base or support 28 movably supported on the flanged rollers 29 secured to the frame 2. The support 28 carries a series of plate holding sections 30 arranged adjacent to an interior 1 chamber 31 and insulated by outer double walls 32, the space between which may be filled with any suitable insulating substance. The space between the respective plate holding magazines and around the inner chamber 31 is adapted to be filled with ice, or other refrigerating means, in order to chill the butter and plates within the container 52, which is lo} cated centrally in carrier and directly above the compartment The empty plates are :niranged in tiers in the various magazines and rest upon the stationaiy rods 34, excepting at the discharge point where they rest upon a pair of arms in conjunction with a flange 36. A chute 37 leads from a point beneath the arms 35 to a stationary support 38 disposed beneath the discharge opening 9 and in rear of an opening 39 in the drum 2, through which the plate may be removed after it is filled. The arms 35 constitute an escapement cooperating with the lowermost plate of the tier of plates in such a manner as to release it before each operation of the cutting member. Each of the arms 35. carries an extension or tail piece 40 which cooperates with the plate above the one discharged to prevent its removal, said arms being mounted on a rock shaft 41 which is held in normal position. as shown in Fig. 6, by a spring 42. and carries a lever 43 having a roller 44 arranged to be engaged by the main lever 16. when the latter is operated. Thus when the lever 16 is depressed the shaft 41 is rocked to the position shown in Fig. 12, to release the bottom plate into the chute 37 along which it gravitates onto the support 38 into position to receive the discharged portion of the material. The extensions 40 of the escapement arms engage the next adjacent plate and in conjunction with the flange 36, prevent its removal, holding it until the arms 35 have been raised far enough to rengage the tierof plates, after which the parts are in readiness for another operation.

When the plates are exhausted from one section of the plate carrier, it is necessary to rotate the carrier in order to bring an other tier of plates into feeding position, and this is preferably accomplished automatically in the following manner: The support 28 of the plate carrier is provided with a series of pivoted arms 45 which are weighted and normally occupy the position shown in Fig. 5 when a section contains one or more plates, one of such arms being provided for each plate holding magazine. The weighted end of the arm is held raised by engagement of the plate with the inner end of the arm, and when the last plate has been delivered the outer end of the arm drops to the position shown in Fig. 4 where it is engaged by an intermittently operated member which thereby rotates the carrier far enough to bring another plate magazine into feeding position. For this purpose, alever 46 is provided pivoted at 47 and connected to the shaft 11 by a suitable connection 48 which is loosely secured to the lever 46 and to an arm 49 on the shaft 11. By this mechanism, the lever 46 is moved past one of the arms 45 at each operation of the main lever 16, and if the arm 45 is in the position shown in Fig. 4, the lever 46, on its return movement, engages the arm 45 and rotates the plate carrier a distance corresponding to the space between adjacent plate magazines.

The lever 16 is returned to its normal position by a spring 50 and its upward or return movement is limited by a stop 51.

Relatively large quantities of the butter are supplied to the machine and contained in the main magazine 52 which is preferably removable, but is associated with the compressing compartment 3 so that the latter may be conveniently filled periodically. The lower end of the magazine is closed by a slide or cut off 52, guided in ways 52". The cover 7 of the compartment 3 lies directly beneath the cut off slide.

When the compartment 3 is empty it is necessary to withdraw the slide and top member and also to retract the ejector 4 to its normal position. In order to effect this movement the top 7 is provided with a cross head 15 depending in rear of the ejector 4 and connected to a sleeve 14 guided on the piston 5. Operating connections are provided between the member 7 and the prime mover 16 comprising a connecting bar 54 journaled on the shaft 11 and having a slot and pin connection, as indicated at 57, with the rock arm 10 whereby a limited oscillatory movement of the latter is permitted independently of the arm 54. The outer end of the latter is provided with a pin 55 which reciprocates in a slot 56 in the cross head 15. By this arrangement of the parts it will be observed that when the stop 51 is removed from the path of the lever 16 ab normal upward movement of the lever will cause the arm 54 to retract the top plate or cover 7 of the compressing compartment. The cover 7 carries on its upper side a pin 60 which cooperates with the cut off slide 52 and on its lower edge it is provided with the shoulder 62 which engages the ejector 4 and simultaneous retraction of the cut off slide and ejector is accomplished by the opening movement of the cover 7.

After the compartment 3 has been filled the rotation of the lever 16 to the normal position shown in Fig. 1 closes the cover 7 thereby separating the smaller portion of the mass in the container 3 from the body of the material in the magazine 52 and the slide 52 may be moved into its normal position by hand, its forward inclined end moving over the surface of the cover 7 and serving to elevate the mass of butter in the magazine and serving as a support therefor, should it be desired to remove the latter. In practice the slide 52 is permitted to remain in the open position until the contents of the magazine 52 is exhausted and as the contents of the magazine is under pressure o! the weight 53 it will move downwardly whenever the slide 7 is withdrawn.

A yielding connection between the shalt l1 and the arm 49 is provided to permit the rotation of the sha ft 1] in a reversed direction when the above described operations are performed, said connections comprising a coil spring 49*, which holds the lever 49 against a stop projection 49* on the shaft.

Plastic material, especially butter, in the mass possesses such a coefiicient elasticity that it is diflicult to measure oii successive small portions of equal size when a large portion of the material to be dispensed is "put under pressure and to overcome this difliculty I have provided the above de scribed mechanism whereby small portions of the material may be separated from the larger source of supply, and be received and retained in a separate compartment and there subjected to the pressure which will cause it to flow outward.

When the container 52 is empty it is removed and a full container inserted. After the empty plates are entirely exhausted from the plate carrier it is recharged by inserting plates from the top. While I have shown a specific embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that it is not limited in scope to the present disclosure, inasmuch as the various cooperative elements may be modified and departed from as to structure without affecting the principle of operation involved, or the purposes intended to be accomplished, as contemplated by the claims appended hereto.

I claim as my invention:

1. A dispensing apparatus comprising a container having a discharge opening, means for expelling the contents of the container and a cutter for severing the expelled portions, of a support located relatively to said opening and beneath it, a holder for plates movable in a path located over the support to successively position dilierent plates relatively to the support and means for releasin the plates on said holder and delivering them to the support.

2. A dispensing apparatus, comprising a container having a discharge opening, means for expelling the contents of the container and a cutter for severing the expelled portions, of a plate support located beneath said opening, an escapement mechanism, a holder movable over said mechanism and adapted to receive plates in a plurality of ositions and transport them successively into an operative position in which they are retained by said escapement and means for operating the latter to release the plates.

3. A dispensing apparatus comprlsmg a container having a discharge opening, means for expelling the contents of the container and a cutter for severing the expelled portions, of a plate support located beneath said opening, a holder adapted to receive plates in a plurality of different locations thereon and movably mounted to suecessively place each plate at a discharge point relatively to said support and means for delivering each of such plates to the support.

4. A dispensing apparatus comprising a container having a discharge opening, means for expelling the contents of the container and a cutter for severing the expelled portions, of a support located relatively to said opening and beneath it, a holder comprising a plurality of magazines, each adapted to contain a-plurality of plates and movably mounted to locate said magazines successively in discharging position relatively to said sup-port and mechanism controlling the delivery of plates successively from a magazine in discharging position to the support.

5. In a butter dispensing apparatus the combination with a butter magazine, a plate magazine, mechanism for removing successive plates therefrom, and a casing inclosing both magazines and adapted to contain a cooling medium, of a delivery chamber contiguous to said casing and adapted to be placed in communication with the butter magazine, an ejector therein, operating means connected to the ejector and the plate mechanism and serving to deliver successive apportionments of butter upon successively fed plates at a predetermined position.

6. In a butter dispensing apparatus, the combination with a butter magazine, a plate magazine, mechanism for removing successive plates therefrom, and a delivery chamber disposed to receive butter from the butter magazine, of an ejector in the delivery chamber, a cut-ofi' member for dividing the butter received in the delivery chamber from that in the magazine, operating means, serving when moved in one direction to advance the cut-off member and cooperate with the ejector and plate delivery mechanism and acting when moved in the other direction to retract the cut-off member and the ejector.

7. In a butter dispensing apparatus, the combination with a butter magazine, a closure therefor, a plate magazine and mechanism for removing successive plates therefrom, of a delivery chamber contiguous to said magazines, means for ejecting the contents thereof, operatively connected with said closure and plate delivery mechanisms and serving to deliver successive apportionments of butter upon successively fed plates.

8. In a butter dispensing machine, the combination with a container adapted to hold a quantity of butter, of a discharge compartment having a restricted outlet and a movable wall between the container and said compartment, means for expelling the contents of the compartment, and means for displacing the movable wall to connect and disconnect the interior of the compartment from the interior of the container.

9. In a dispensing machine, the combination with a container having an unrestricted open end and a relatively smaller discharge compartment having an open side registering with said open end, 0 a movable plate adapted to be interposed between said container and compartment; and means for pressing the material in said compartment to force it therefrom.

10. In a butter dispensing apparatus, the combination with a casing, butter magazine and a plate magazine within said casing and mechanism for releasing successive.

plates therefrom, of a delivery chamber contiguous to said casing and in alinement with the butter magazine having a movable wall common to it 'and the butter magazine, means for ejecting the contents of the delivery chamber operatively connected with the plate release mechanism and serving to deliver successive apportionments of butter to successiveplates. 11. In a butter dispensing a paratus, the combination with a container aving a discharge opening, an ejector therein carrying a rack and an operating member carrying a cated beneath 7 pivoted lever coiiperating with the pawl cara charge opening,

a rack j' traversing the operating lever pawl cooperating with the rack, of a-plate stack rack, an escapement'mechanism 10-- it having a triparm and a rying member and said triparm;

12. In a butter dispensing apparatus, the

combination with a container having'a disan ejector therein carrying and an an escapement mechanism located beneath it fOI'I GlGBSIHg a dplate and a cutting member ischarge opening, a pivoted connected to the pawl "car -rying arm and cooperating with the escapement and operating connections between the lever and cutting member serving to actuate the latter after the advancementflof the ejector and the release of U 13. In a butter dispensing apparatus, the

a plate.

combination with .a container having a disa cutter traversingthe it, a lever r operating the ejector advancung means uponflmovement in one direction (and a latch connectionbetween the lever and I n ;thjeicutter 0, rating means for actuating the 611mg 1,

container ha an ejector therein and opening,

, fll'l'ying ja pawl coo a Ieratin'g with the rack, of a plate stack rac gpening and means for operating movement of said lever in ihe "ner wall, of means I other d rection. t a k l 14. In a butterjdispensing apparatus, the combination with a charge opening,

means for advancing it, of a cutter travers opening and means for,

a disrt plate stack rack and an escapement cooperating with plates therein having a trip, a lever for operating the ejector advancing means and escapement trip and engaging said latch upon movement in one direction and serving to actuate the cutter upon movement in the other direction.

15. In a butter dispensing apparatus, the combination with a container having a discharge opening and an open side, a cover for the latter, an ejector in the container and a rack bar for advancing it, a rock shaft and two arms thereon, one having a pawl cooperatin with the rack bar and the other with sai cover, said arms being so disposed that the second arm is operated to close the cover in advance of the engagement of the pawl with the rack, of an operating lever for oscillating said shaft.

16. In a butter dispensing apparatus, the combination with a casing mounted for rotary movement havin a azine, a plurality 0 plate compartments, said magazine and compartments having open lower ends, a compressing compartment located beneath the magazine having a discharge aperture and a plate support beneath the compartments having a releasing opening located relatively to said dis charge aperture, of an escapement controlling the movement of plates through said a compressor for expelling butter from said compartment and a cutter for severing the expremed portion, operating mechanism controlling the movement of the compressor, cutter and escapement and timed to move the latter to release a plate in advance of the movement of the compressor and thereafter actuate the cutter.

17. In a butter dispensing apparatus, the combination with a casing composed of in- 'ner and outer walls spaced apart, a plurality of plate tubes located in spaced relation between said walls, the spaces between the tubes being adapted to contain a cooling medium,

- and a butter magazine removably inclosed within the inner wall, of means for removing the butter from said magazine and means for releasing plates from the tubes.

18. In a butter dispensing apparatus, the combination with a base, a casing revolubly supported thereon 0o prising inner and outer cylindrical walls spaced apart, the

viouter walls being provided with vertical slots, and plate tubes within the outer wall having open sides registering slots and a butter magazine withinthe indimarging plates from the bottoms of the 19.;1'5 a butter combination with a casing adapted to containa-eooling medium, a butter magazine or delivering butter from the lower endofrsaid magazines and 125 dispensing apparatus, the r coated in the casing having a body portion 139 with said a lying in a zone directly influenced by the cooling medium therein, and a discharge portion having a restricted discharge opening, said portion extending beyond the casing and disposed to be indirectly influenced by said cooling medium, of a compressor for expressing the butter and a pawl and rack mechanism for advancing it step-by-step.

20. 'In a butter dispensing apparatus, the combination with a container having a body portion and a discharge portion provided with a discharge aperture, a plate stack rack and a casing adapted to contain a'cooling medium and arranged to inclose the rack 15 and container body, of means for expelling the butter from the discharge aperture, mechanism for separating the endmost plate from the other plates in the rack and an operating device for actuating said butter means for expelling the butter and operating said cutter.

BENNETT D. STRAIGHT.

Witnesses:

G. WILLARD RICH, RUSSELL B. GRIFFITH. 

